Bret Hart’s WWE Mount Rushmore

When the question is posed to WWE
Hall of Famers, people immediately tune-in to hear the verdict. Although judging it as “really an impossible question to answer, because there’s so many great wrestlers,” Bret Hart
has often weighed-in on the discussion with his personal opinion.

It’s worth noting that Hart has named several different performers on his ‘Mount Rushmore’ over the years, including Ric Flair
, The Undertaker
, Owen Hart, ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage and ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin
.

However, in a recent interview with Attitude Era Podcast, the five-time WWF Champion named three performers, along with himself, focusing specifically on technical in-ring skill. GIVEMESPORT breaks down the legends on Hitman’s latest ‘Mount Rushmore’.

‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper

Often cited as one of the greatest wrestlers to never win a world championship during his WWE tenure, Roddy Piper was not only considered outstanding on the microphone but is also heralded for his performances between the ropes.

Famously main-eventing the first-ever WrestleMania
event, ‘Rowdy’ teamed up with Paul Orndorff to battle the immortal Hulk Hogan
and star of ‘The A-Team’, locking up a single Intercontinental Championship to his name, Piper also shocked the WWE Universe when he and Flair defeated the Spirit Squad in 2006 to win the World Tag Team Championships.

Considered one of the best heels in WWE history, Piper only wrestled Hart one-on-one a single time in WWE. It was a show-stealing effort, locking-up with the WWF Intercontinental title on the line at WrestleMania VIII.

Hart and Piper engaged in a technical masterpiece, featuring a much-replicated finish when Hart, locked in Piper’s patented sleeper-hold, climbed his way up the turnbuckle pads, reversing the submission into a pin for the victory.

Piper also served as the special guest referee at WrestleMania X, when Hart defeated Yokozuna in the main event to win his second WWF Championship. Whilst he may have never won the ‘big one’, Piper has a much-deserved spot on Hart’s ‘Mount Rushmore’.

‘Mr. Perfect’ Curt Hennig

Curt Hennig, another star on Hart’s list to never win a world title in WWE, was a technical wizard. Inducted to the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007, Perfect’s two Intercontinental Championship reigns cemented the title as the ‘workhorse’ belt, at a time when many main events were slower.

During the late ’80s, Hart and Hennig tore-up the WWF’s live event circuit throughout North America with a series of time-limit draws. SummerSlam
1991 proved to rave reviews of their rivalry when Hart challenged Perfect for the Intercontinental Championship.

Fans inside Madison Square Garden were treated to a technical masterclass, which ended when ‘The Excellence of Execution’ locked Perfect into his signature sharpshooter to win his first-ever singles championship in WWE. The match gained rave reviews and remains to this day considered one of the greatest contests at a SummerSlam event.

‘The Heartbreak Kid’ Shawn Michaels

Without a doubt, Hart’s most famous rival during his entire wrestling career was Shawn Michaels. The duo led WWE’s New Generation era when megastars such as Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage and the Ultimate Warrior departed the company.

Jostling at the top of the card to be WWE’s number one guy caused real-life friction between the pair, with stories emerging of backstage bust-ups. Despite this, they still managed to create magic in the ring. WrestleMania XII produced an outstanding Iron Man contest when Michaels finally bested Hart after over an hour of top-quality action.

Shawn Michaels’ WWE Mount Rushmore

Shawn Michaels is a WWE legend, but who are the four wrestlers on his wrestling Mount Rushmore?

The feud came to a head at Survivor Series
1997, when the infamous ‘Montreal Screwjob’ incident occurred, preluding Hart’s exit to rivals World Championship Wrestling. With Hart gone, Michaels would secure the spot as WWE’s top dog, leading the company into the Attitude Era. After 12 years away from WWE, Hart returned as a guest host on RAW
, where he buried the hatchet with Michaels. Despite their differences, they appreciate each other’s service to the industry, and therefore ‘HBK’ has earned a spot on Hart’s Mount Rushmore.

Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart

Whilst it may seem controversial to select himself, there’s no doubt Hart is one of the greatest in-ring performers of all time. The two-time Hall of Famer has an endless list of WWE accolades, including five world titles, two Intercontinental Championships, two King of the Ring victories (1991 & 1993) and a Royal Rumble win (1994). Hart has gone on record determining his place among the all-timers:

There’s certainly an argument for this. During his WWE run, ‘Hitman’ was a technical genius. Renowned for his smoothness and innovative skill, whilst also praised for the believability of his work, Hart often put on the match of the night, regardless of opponent.

‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin has cited his match against Hart at WrestleMania 13 as being his favourite of all-time, whilst other legends including the Undertaker, British Bulldog, X-Pac, Kevin Nash and Bret’s brother Owen also enjoyed epic bouts against the ‘The Best There Is, the Best There Was and the Best There Ever Will Be.’